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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says companies found culpable in masking of international telephone calls will get the maximum penalty.

Director of Public Affairs, Tony Ojobo, in a statement on Monday said operating licences of some of the interconnect exchange and other licencees involved in the practice would either be revoked or suspended in the coming week.

Masked calling is a technique used in e-commerce to protect buyers’ and sellers’ personal phone numbers.

It uses a short-lived phone number for each party, allowing them to communicate seamlessly during a specified time period.

NCC recalled that the commission and senior operatives from the nation’s security services met with representatives of the licencees at the commission’s Abuja office on January 24.

The statement said that the companies were confronted with some of the evidence at the disposal of the commission and were given another opportunity to defend themselves.

”In accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act and its subsidiary regulations, the implicated licencees have been given till the Jan. 31 to show cause why the commission should not either revoke or suspend their operating licences.

“(This is) in view of evidence of their involvement now at the disposal of the commission and the security agencies.

”Because of the critical impacts of this nefarious practice on national security and consumer experience, the commission is determined to decisively deal with any of its licencees implicated in the scam.

“We do not want to expose the country to any further embarrassment. At the very least, serious sanctions would be imposed on them, if it is found that their involvement does not justify revocation of their licences.

”Anyone found wanting would be strictly dealt with in accordance with the law,” it said.